After Ma Ji's death, Hou Yaowen criticized him for not being a good standard-bearer for crosstalk.

After Ma Ji's death, Hou Yaowen criticized him for not being a good standard-bearer for crosstalk. Ma Ji was an important figure in the crosstalk world. Together with his partner Guo Degang, he had developed the traditional art form of crosstalk into the modern era and made important contributions in this field. However, Hou Yaowen was also an important figure in the crosstalk world. His reputation and influence in the crosstalk world were also very high. In 2006, he criticized Ma Ji for not becoming a "standard-bearer of crosstalk", which was inaccurate and should not be accepted. The title "standard-bearer of crosstalk" did not refer to the most important person in a certain field, but rather to the widespread influence and reputation of a person in a certain field. In the crosstalk world, Ma Ji and Hou Yaowen both had a very high reputation and influence. Their names were widely recognized in the crosstalk world, but their respective contributions and status were also different. Therefore, it was unfair to use the title of "standard-bearer of crosstalk" to evaluate the two of them. In short, Ma Ji and Hou Yaowen were both important figures in the crosstalk world. Their achievements and contributions in the crosstalk field could not be ignored. Their status and contributions should be treated equally, and the title of "standard-bearer of crosstalk" should not be used to belittle one of them.